NASHVILLE, Tenn — The Tennessee Department of Health announced Tuesday it will be moving forward to Phase 1C of its risk-based COVID-19 vaccination plan, which includes people age 16 and older with high-risk medical conditions and others.
Starting Monday, March 8, Tennessee will transition to the next phase -- which includes people 16+ with high-risk comorbidities such as diabetes and obesity, pregnant women, and caretakers of medically frail children. People in these groups will be able to schedule appointments alongside others in previous phases and those 65 and older.
TDH Commissioner Dr. Lisa Piercey said the news comes on the heels of some promising updates on vaccine shipments. The state is expecting to receive 54,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine on Wednesday, which only requires one dose instead of two.
Piercey said there will be a two week period after the initial Johnson & Johnson vaccine distribution where the state won't receive any others from the company. It expects the second shipment to arrive on March 22.
By the end of March, Piercey said TDH expects the number of doses to increase to 300,000 in the weekly shipments between the two-dose Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines, and the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
“The best vaccine is the one you can get the soonest," Piercey said, saying all three vaccine brands are safe and 100% effective at preventing serious illness.
